What is "juglone"

Juglone \Ju"glone\, n. [L. juglans the walnut + -one.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance ( C10H6O3) resembling quinone, extracted from green shucks of the walnut ( Juglans regia); -- called also nucin. Chemically, it is 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthalenedione.

n. (context organic compound English) An allelopathic aromatic compound found in the leaves, roots, husks, and bark of plants in the Juglandaceae family, particularly the black walnut, used as a colouring agent.

Juglone, also called 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthalenedione ( IUPAC) is an organic compound with the molecular formula CHO. In the food industry, juglone is also known as C.I. Natural Brown 7 and C.I. 75500. It is insoluble in benzene but soluble in dioxane, from which it crystallizes as yellow needles. It is an isomer of lawsone, which is the staining compound in the henna leaf.

Juglone occurs naturally in the leaves, roots, husks, fruit ( the epicarp), and bark of plants in the Juglandaceae family, particularly the black walnut (Juglans nigra), and is toxic or growth-stunting to many types of plants. It is sometimes used as a herbicide, as a dye for cloth and inks, and as a coloring agent for foods and cosmetics.